Ebay

I have sold a few things here and there - but they started charging way to many fees to really make a profit. That's why I started my own home based business.

Check out Craigslist.com, they do not charge you to use it. Except for in the larger cities.

I've sold a few things on ebay.
1 ~ take more than 1 picture of the things you're selling. As a buyer, I like multiple pictures when possible. Different angles, close-up, etc.
2 ~ give a very complete description. If it's adult clothes, maybe do some of your own measurements, different clothes fit different people.
3 ~ as a buyer I personally stay away from "lots" when I'm looking at clothes or whatever. There maybe something in the lot that I like, but not everything, so it's not usually worth spending my money on it.
4 ~ buy a postal scale. I take the item, put it in the box/package it will be shipped in and weigh it. That way you can charge exact shipping charges. I used to guesstimate, and it ended up costing me. Also as a buyer, I hate when I pay a bunch for shipping and it arrives and I see that the shipping cost alot less than they charged me.
5 ~ you can go to http://postcalc.usps.gov to figure out your shipping costs. Also, ebay has a place for this now too.
6 ~ go to www.usps.com for supplies. If you request supplies for priority mail, they're free, as long as you ship priority mail. You can get boxes, packing tape, labels and they will deliver them to your house.
7 ~ I always offer combined shipping, and once again I appreciate that as a buyer. I write in my description that I will email the person with their final shipping cost. I take all the items they buy, box them up, weigh it then figure out the shipping cost.
8 ~ I accept paypal payments and money orders. Personal checks sometimes, but I tell the buyer that they have to wait until the check clears before I will ship.
You will sometimes get shafted, but most people are honest. I always try to find out the reason if the payment isn't made in a timely fashion. I try not to leave negative feedback until I've emailed the buyer more than once, and I've tried calling them (you can get their contact information from ebay when you have a transaction).
I know that was alot, but I think I covered pretty much everything.
Good luck!
D.

Hi L.,

Well Donna hit on almost everything you need to know. But a lot of things have recently changed on eBay do to the new CEO. As a seller you can no longer leave negative or nuetral feedback for buyers. This is bad for sellers because one person leaving you negative feedback can really really mess up your feedback percentage which affects where your items are listed on eBay... Also it affects PayPal and if your buyer pays through PayPal the payment is held for 21 days (I'm not 100% on the total amount of days) before the money is deposited into your account. So you still have to send out the item and pay for shipping out of your own pocket in hopes that the buyer isn't someone who is dishonest. Before all the changes sellers and buyers had to deal with retalitory feedback, but now sellers are SOL. I am both a seller and a buyer and these changes are going to take some getting use to.
Good Luck!
J. in Macomb

I used to sell a TON on Ebay when I was pregnant and when my son was first born - that was only 3 years ago and I can't believe how much the fees have gone up in those 3 years. It's rediculous. I won't even think of selling on Ebay anymore.

One word - craigslist! I now sell and buy on craigslist and have nothing negative to say. It's free, you get to list up to 4 pictures for free, you can list as much as you'd like, it's all local, and the list goes on! I'm sticking with craigslist.

iF YOU WANT TO OPEN A HOME BASE BUSINESS cantact me at 1-###-###-#### or e-mail me ____@____.com

I have my own store on Ebay. I love selling on there. I've also done craigslist in the past as well. I found a wonderful site full of information called Here Comes the Stork. It does have a small monthly fee but I found it totally worth it. It gives you a ton of information on what is selling, about taking pictures, listing keywords so your items get more exposure, etc. etc. Here is the link if you'd like to check it out: http://www.herecomesthestork.com/cgi-bin/affiliates/click...

Good luck!
T.

L.,

I know the question was about ebay... but I have had GREAT success with Craigslist! You can go to your own region and list or buy whatever you would like! It is really easy!

L.